100 Days of Leaf Art - Week 5

 

Welcome to Week 5 of 100 Days of Leaf Arts

Overcoming Midway Challenges

By now, challenges creep in—lack of time, self-doubt, posting late or fatigue. This is the moment to push forward and to give yourself some grace. I remind myself why I started and focus on the joy of creating. 

This phase of the project requires a mental shift. I acknowledge my struggles, but I don’t let them stop me. Instead, I embrace what is happening in the moment, be it imperfections, lack of drive or needing to self-nurture and get back on track.  

I allow my art to reflect my persistence. I am doing the challenge for myself and each and every step I take will revitalize and renew my strength and you learn something new about your resilience along the way.

Creative Tip: On busy days, create something simple. Keep the habit alive, even if it's a five-minute session.  If you are posting and you need to post the next day, then don't stress about it, the process is for you, others will understand.

Encouragement: Progress over perfection. Keep going! Your dedication will pay off, and by the end of the 100 days, you'll be amazed at how much you've grown.

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Need extra motivation? The Leaf Arts course keeps creativity flowing.

Want to learn more?

Join me in my Leaf Arts - Transforming Nature into Art course for guided lessons on leaf art techniques! 

Come and join us on the course and learn to create your own beautifully designed leaves!

100 Days of Leaf Art - Week 4

 

Week 4: Adding mark-making to Leaves

Incorporating mark-making onto the leaves adds texture and contrast. 

I experiment with different materials, such as using the wood burning tool, attaching stitched and decorated leaves together or simply adding embroidery techniques and creating leaf clusters with slow stitching.

Adding textiles also brings an exciting dimension to leaf art. The softness of fabric  with the organic fragility of leaves creates a beautiful contrast.

Creative Tip: Don't be afraid to try new techniques and experiment to get your desired look.

Encouragement: Small creative risks lead to big breakthroughs—try a new technique and see where it takes you.  You could practice on say fabric to begin with and then move onto the leaves. If something doesn’t work, repurpose it into another piece.

Want to learn more?

Join me in my Leaf Arts - Transforming Nature into Art course for guided lessons on leaf art techniques! 

Come and join us on the course and learn to create your own beautifully designed leaves!

Arts and Wellness Cafe - Garden Edition

 

Welcome to this episode of the Arts and Wellness Cafe, where we look at how being in a green plant-filled environment can help with your health and wellbeing.

It is my second favorite space next to my art studio and I love spending time tending to the plants an seeing new things come to life.

It is not an easy activity but it is very rewarding and the benfits are multiple - from harvesting the food, seeing plants spring to life or the addition of birds building their nests, feeling so comfortable in the space that they dwell awhile.

We also talk about being stewards for all the places that we find ourselves in and the legacy we will leave behind for the next generation.  

It would be great to know what you want your legacy to be that will inspire and motivate others. 

Come and join us and leave a comment.

Before you go:

Check out the Diamond Painting video - is it something that you have tried before?

100 Days of Leaf Art - Week 3

 

Welcome to Week 3 of the 100 Days of Leaf Arts.

Week 3: Building a Daily Creative Habit

Consistency is key to creative growth. Showing up every day - even for 10 minutes -keeps your ideas flowing and strengthens your skills. With each day over the challenge, I attempt to refine my techniques, try new stitches, and explore layering with fabric or other materials.

Weaving and Burning Dried leaf

One of the biggest challenges in any long-term project is overcoming the inner critic. Some days, it might feel like nothing is working or you don't know what to try. Other days, everything clicks into place. The key is to keep going, no matter what. I set a simple daily goal: create one small design, even if it’s just a single stitch or a minimal burned mark.

Creative Tip: Set up a simple workspace so you can create without distractions. Having materials ready makes the process smoother. Create a daily ritual around your project, light a candle, play calming music, or sip tea while working.

Encouragement: Keep going, even if your pieces don’t turn out exactly as planned. Creativity is a journey, not a destination. Your skills will improve with practice, and each piece adds to your growing body of work.

Want step-by-step guidance? My Leaf Arts course walks you through different mixed media techniques.

Want to learn more?

Join me in my Leaf Arts - Transforming Nature into Art course for guided lessons on leaf art techniques! 

Come and join us on the course and learn to create your own beautifully designed leaves!

Fabric Embellishments - Material Musings

 

Check out the video HERE

Welcome to Material Musings where we look at some of the fabric embellishments that you can get to use in your work.

I source mine from a variety of sources, around the home, thrift stores, or swaps that you can do with other creatives - especially those who stitch, they will always have some unusual and interesting trims that you may be able to use in your work.

In this video I share some of the ones that I have and how I use them.  Join me on this Material musings slow stitched journey.

Check out the previous video and you will be able to see some of the fabric in a project.

Material Musings - Slow Stitched Projects

Before You Go

Come and join us for FREE on Patreon and see behind the scene and dive into a creative oasis!  Learn more HERE!

Diamond Painting - Trying something new

 

Check out the latest video where I share my latest Diamond Painting Project.  I thought I would try something new, it was fun - similar to 'painting by numbers'  There was enough left over to create a mini project that I can use in one of my creative projects.

Before You Go:

100 Days of Leaf Art - Week 2 - Finding Inspiration in Nature

Week 2: Finding Inspiration in Nature

Welcome to Week 2 of the 100 Days of Leaf Arts.  Nature is an endless source of inspiration. The veins of a leaf, the curves of a petal, and the textures of bark all hold artistic potential. As I continue this project, I let nature be my guide - observing patterns and translating them into designs burned, stitched and woven onto leaves.

I spend time daily in nature observing the changes, and seeing what inspires me. The natural world offers limitless motifs, from the flowing lines of vines to the intricate spirals found in flower centers. Even shadows and light filtering through trees provide inspiration for contrast and depth in my designs.

Creative Tip: Take a sketchbook outside and draw the natural patterns you see. These can become references for future designs. Try rubbing leaves with charcoal or pencils to create imprints you can use later.

Encouragement: When in doubt, look around you. Nature is the best teacher! Trust that creativity will emerge naturally when you engage with your environment.

Join the journey: The Leaf Arts course teaches techniques to bring nature’s patterns to life on dried leaves and so much more.

Want to learn more?

Join me in my Leaf Arts - Transforming Nature into Art course for guided lessons on leaf art techniques! 

Come and join us on the course and learn to create your own beautifully designed leaves!

Digital Art Background for Creative Projects Available!!

What are you doing in your creative projects for March?  Looking for some digital art backgrounds to spice-up your creative projects?

The digital art background papers for the month of March are available.  You can join us on my Patreon to get hold of the ones on the FREE Tier

You can also access our $10 Tier and to get access to the digital art, videos and posts (over 700) that is currently on the platform. 

Available on our FREE Tier

Here are just a few things that you can do with the digital art papers once you have printed them out:

Cut & Rearrange – Print your background and cut it into different shapes. - try creating a collage, or mixing different backgrounds together.  

Layer with Mixed Media – Use your floral background as a base for stamping, stenciling, or mark-making. Add paint to mute some areas, then go in and add your favorite stamps.

Available on our $3 Tier

Interactive Journaling – Glue a background page into your art journal and write or doodle over it. You can also cut out some of the shapes and then create spaces that you can write over.

Available on our $10 Tier

Highlighting Hidden Elements – Use a fine liner or white gel pen to outline patterns that stand out to you. Find some of the hidden images within the backgrounds, enhance what you see and let the artwork evolve.

Come and join us and explore all the different ways you can use the digital downloads in your art journal or creative work.

Exhibition and Art in Barbados - Queens Park Gallery

I recently had the opportunity of having my art in an exhibition at the Queens Park Gallery for the exhibition Reparations Now and had two pieces of work on display. 

Both pieces speak to the importance of identity - knowing who you are, your purpose and what is driving you.

My Sculpture is called - Disconnect, Gather Together in Thy Name

Photo - Cornerstone Creatives

The second piece is called Remembrance

You can catch more of my work on my website HERE

Material Musings - Textile Art Project Update

 

Welcome to Material Musings where we will see the progress made in the current projects that I am working on in the studio.

I have been moving each of the projects on a bit at a time throughout the week, each of them has something different, and I tap into that depending on the sort of work that I want to do on each.

I have added the beading to this one and additional stitching and I think that it is finally coming together.  It definitely has been a journey getting them complete, I think that I assumed that they would take less time to complete.

This piece is made up of wax resist and dyed fabric, lots of slow stitching, and beading.  The figure that I use on the piece is one of my digital downloads available on my Etsy store - HERE

When you are approaching your projects don't try and rush through them, especially if you work somewhat intuitively, there is always something that catches your eye that wants to be added, so I just enjoy the process.

Next week on Material Musings I will be sharing some of the ways in which I source my fabric embellishments.

Before You Go

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